LOS ANGELES (BP) -- "I Can Only Imagine" opened third at the U.S. box office this past weekend as the Easter season heralds two more faith-based films.

The saga of forgiveness and triumph based on the hit MercyMe ballad brought in $17 million from just over 1,600 locations March 16–18, based on Box Office Mojo statistics, far exceeding industry insiders' advance projections of $12 million. It was the best opening of a faith-based film since "Heaven is for Real" opened at $22 million in 2014.

Affirm Film's "Paul, Apostle of Christ" opens March 23, followed March 30 by Pure Flix's "God's Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness." The latter is the third installment of the "God's Not Dead" series highlighting freedom of speech and religion, which debuted in 2014 as the highest grossing faith film that year at $60 million, according to Pure Flix Studio. Read More

"God designed the Gospel for us unworthies," Cody Barnhart reminds of times when doubt or self-hate creep in. "Instead of being antithetical to God's salvation, your sickness and shame actually pave the way for it." Read More

PITTSBURGH (BP) -- The interdenominational Christian group "In God We Trust" has collected more than 97,000 signatures in petitioning President Donald Trump to declare Sept. 11 an annual day of prayer, fasting and repentance.

Driven by II Chronicles 7:14, the initiative seeks to "redeem the day" of Sept. 11, 2001, from the evil that took nearly 3,000 lives, and to return it to a confidence in God, said Don Black, founder of the two-year-old "In God We Trust" ministry leading the initiative.

"With the growing threat of terror at home and around the world, this is the time for ... Read More

NASHVILLE (BP) -- A growing number of institutions appear to be recommending the use of gender-inclusive language, this time extending non-gendered terms to God and expectant mothers.

Divinity schools at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Duke University in Durham, N.C., in 2016-2017 course catalogues encourage non-gendered language in reference to God. The guidelines are addressed to students, faculty and administrators. Read More

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